The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-11-24
NO.. 8.

tween them. This done, few strokes
OF a hammer is given on the head of each
wedge, and the great mass is cleft from
bottom to top, and from end to end, be-
foro your eyes. If other holes have
been drilled in the side, and they always
are, the process is promptly repeated
and re-repeated, and in short time the
remains of that particular mastodon dis
appear from the face of the earth. Ieay-
ing only few basketful of fragments to
show where it reposed for SO many ages.
MARVELLOUS WORK.
Nor is this the most striking and Gu
rlous illustration of the facility with
which tho stone can be handled. A
great deal of the Winnsboro granite is
used for paving purposes. Large uuan-
ing hauled past the granite quarries of
Georgia and intermediate States in order
to give to Cincinnati the best roadways
III the world, and Chnrlestonians drive
over othors OF the same character every
day. The making of the familiar little
stone bricks which are used for this kind
OF work looks like magic to one who sees
the operation for the first time. A slab
rs large rs an ordinary valise is priced
from the reft side of the boulder or
from the face of the quarried block, and
falls at the feet of tho workman on the
ground below. His practiced eye tells
hlm at once Oh which side Of the frag-
mcnt the lines OF cleavage run, and none
bnt practiced eye can detect any differ.
cnce between one side and another.
with no earthly reason whatever, that
you can discover, for his choice, he
turns the block till the right side is up
pormost. A half dozen light strokes
with the sharp edge of his hammer trace
a, white limo the whole length Of the
block. This limo is crossed by another
Ike 1T ut right angles. The block is
| turned bottom side up. Thon ono or
two sharp blows fall somewhere near the
edge, and the block ''splts" in two.
Each Uf the halves receives rap or SO,
i'll turn, and each "breaks," not splits,
III just the right place. Whatever tho
SIZE Of the block, this simple process
soon makes fractions Of it, and the
I workman Is marking new lines on new
Vnilsc before you are we'll aware that he
has picked the lock of the first. The
performance appears to be the easiest
way of making Il living that has yet been
I discovered, and all the laborcrs seem
! happy and content. n glance at their
swelling muscles, however, shows that
they arc not engaged in play, and any
one who might feel disposed to adopt
! their profession or art on the spot would
! probably be met with the advice to 90
aud practice with slcdge hammer, in
blacksmith shop, for n year or two by
way OF primary education. -. -, ~
AVN, 49,. - -A-.>,>,oLu WIN winch
tnc granite masses, of all sizes, are lifted
and turned and run away with, as
! though the touch Of the hand discharged
tho power Of gruVitatlOn and converted
| 4 / l.. 4 D.,
on hut easy to make up and move about.
You stand with the manager and his
foreman by the side Of ono Of the great
forms as largo as meeting house, and
III tho pit at your foot is solid street.
car Nothing daunted, the two experts
speak of cutting up the one as though 1t
it were loaf of bakers bread, and of
raising the other to tho surface rs IL 1T
were biscuit. And you cannot help
looking at thCm again to sec whether
they arc indeed men Of your own mould
or whether there is anything in their
/ cOuntonnnccs to warrant tho hope that
| They will be more rational when tho
moon changes.
.SURpASSES ALL OTHERS.
/ They are rational enough, however.
Their words arc justified by their works
Tho raw and precious material is melt
ing away from the hill tops, under intel
hgcnt and skilled direction, and is
sCrudiIy flowing down into the valley
which is its outlet to the great cities OF
tho country. The industry is still COM
pArntiveiy its infancy, great and grow
ing - it is. The beauty of tho stone
has won it favor wherever it has been
exhibited. 1t is perfect i'll appearance
when freshly cut, and is devoid OF the
iron and other c0mpOncntS which mar
other grantees after II brief exposure to
atmospheric influences. 1t may be seen
20 advantage hero in Charleston, in the
! Calhoun monument and tho Dragons
monument, and tho Government build
, ings in Columbia and Nashville have
| given it widespread renoWn. No other
: granite in the United States can compare
= with it III any desirable particular, and
, this fact is already too we'll known to re-
O uuire much advertisement.
+ Tho variety Of uses to which the stone
j can bc applied is shown by the state
. mcnt Of the experts who have examined
& it, that it can DO cut in plates not more
l. tlun one inch thick and five or more
II feet in length, on the ono hand, while i
it can uBo be quarricd for delivery il
II lengths Of seventy five feet, or rs lon&
j. aud largo aY railroad car can carry. L
- is needless to add that the granite IS suS
- ceptblc Of fine polish, as that follows
1t rom it's even texture aud hardness.
T. TIE COMING DEVELOPMENT.
II What is most nc3dcd now IS to dcvolol
- the Quarry on scale that will enable tn
l. supply to meet any demand that may b
# made upon it, and this is the work tha
i has been undertaken by the new com
n pany, with tho assurance Of immediat
success. Abundance Of home capital
under tho direction Of home capitalist
.y and managers, has bccn enlisted in til
# enterprise, and it's future is bright il
~ deed The whole story might be summc
-. up in few words. South Carolina hO
tn the finest deposit of granite in til
m Union, and proposes now to supply til
- wbolo Union with it. Ii is truly a mas
-. nilicent possession that lies among til
L.. hills Of old Fairfield county, and it Wi
-, not be many months now before thos
..E same stones, 50 long rejected of I'll
fnrmer will form the head of the corn,